Universal Music Group (UMG) have reportedly filed a motion to dismiss Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst’s $200million lawsuit against them for “fraudulent accounting practices”.
In October, Durst filed a lawsuit against UMG for $200million on the count of fraud, alleging that the music label and publishing company had withheld the band’s royalties for years before they made an inquiry on it and only got paid “recently”.
Limp Bizkit. Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty
According to the Limp Bizkit vocalist, the group “never received any royalties from UMG”, until this August – despite having sold millions of albums and still earning “millions of streaming users per month on Spotify alone” for years. The lawsuit also alleged that UMG had intended to “unfairly keep those profits for itself”.
At the time, UMG responded by claiming that Limp Bizkit had been paid $43million in recoupable advances over the years. The label explained that this is why the royalties had not begun entering the accounts until recently.
According to Durst’s attorneys, UMG eventually released $1.03million to the band, and $2.3million to Durst’s label Flawless Records. However, they claim that they are owed a much higher sum.
Now, it has been revealed that UMG are reportedly seeking to get the lawsuit dismissed. Per Rolling Stone, UMG on Friday (November 22) filed for their motion and said in a statement that Durst’s allegations were “based on fallacy.” UMG added: “Plaintiffs’ entire narrative that UMG tried to conceal royalties is a fiction”.
A rep for Limp Bizkit has since commented to Rolling Stone on UMG’s motion to dismiss: “We will rely on the facts, the law and the courts. When someone is caught red-handed, their first response is often to hire very expensive outside law firms who first, as a matter of course, try anything to dismiss the suit when they are in trouble with the facts.”
Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit performs live. CREDIT: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
The representative added: “In this case, we believe UMG is using a typical, formulaic, well-trodden strategy of reaching for any escape route by desperately grasping at technicalities.”
Earlier this month, Limp Bizkit revealed that they have been back in the studio and are working on a new album. The upcoming album will serve as a follow-up to Limp Bizkit’s 2021 LP ‘Still Sucks’, which marked their first full-length release in a decade, following on from 2011’s ‘Gold Cobra’.
They have also announced their ‘Loserville’ UK tour for 2025. You can visit here to purchase tickets.
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